Parents
by Kurai Hitokiri
Summary: Link and Zelda's son Keeblero reflects on his childhood, remembering the way he was raised... after all... his parents are gone now.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, or any of these characters. Errrr... well, I own Keeblero's name.

**A/N:** Woooow, and how time passes by. Anyway, this story is dedicated to my Grandma and Grandpa.

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**Parents**

By Kurai Hitokiri

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When someone dies, it leaves such a giant void in your heart… you feel like you can never pick yourself back up and continue down the road. It becomes harder each day to accept something as horrid as losing a loved one, but sometimes we have to choke our tears down for the good of those around us. After all, it's hard for a little kid to accept the reality that someone in their life has left the world forever…

It's especially difficult when a parent leaves the world. You thought that they had no weakness… that they were somehow impervious to the ills of the world because they seemed so untouchable to anything. And even though that image eventually fades as you get older, you still seem to ask yourself 'why?!' when you see them grow so frail…

At the time you may grow angry and spiteful at _everything_ your parents scold you on, but in the end, you have to remember that they did it _because_ they loved you. A parent's sole objective is to protect you from the harms of the world and to teach you as much as they can before their time in the world is extinguished…

Looking back now, I _know_ I had the most wonderful parents…

My father was a tough, no-nonsense sort of guy. And even though sometimes he seemed as hard as rocks, he still had those moments where he was just the gentlest, kindest soul in the world. He was probably one of the most brilliant men I've ever met in my life, and that was because he read so much. Dad knew about every possible subject if you asked him… I can just remember him sitting there, holding me in his arms, that strange anise cologne of his drifting to my nose and reminding me I was home. His callused, worn hands would grasp mine, and with that strange little twinkle in his eye he would say 'Keeblero, this is _your_ world now… And just remember these things: 1.) Don't take shit from anybody 2.) Ya gotta have non-negotiable principals to stand by. If someone pushes those principals, then they're obviously not your friend.'

He was right, of course. He always was.

...And then there was my Mother… Goddesses I loved her.

I remember those few years before I went to kindergarten were the years we were closest.

I'd play with pots and pans down on the kitchen floor while she washed the dishes, and I'd look up at her with the curiosity befitting my age… every time she was looking back at me with that strange little smile parents give you on their face. Then after that she'd take my hand in hers and we'd take the bus downtown to the Ice Cream Parlor for a treat.

She was a shy, quiet woman who wouldn't hurt anyone… that was, unless they messed with her kids. I remember being wide-eyed when she cussed at a kid from my elementary school after he kicked me into the dirt and continuously hit me upside the head. There was no doubt she had some sort of little temper about her. But that just made her all the more admirable.

So imagine my shock when Mom goes into a coma.

I… was already married and long moved out when the news came that my Mom had collapsed in the bathroom at her house.

Following the accident she was taken to the medical center and instantly placed in the ICU. She could no longer breath or eat in her unconciousness… machines became her mouth and lungs.

I rushed down to be at her side, leaving my wife and child behind. I couldn't let my daughter see her Grandmother in such a terrible state, she was only five or so at the time.

…I can't describe anything from those days… it passed by in such a blur… and I certainly don't want to recall the state she was in… all I can tell you is…

She passed away still in that horrid coma.

Dad was lost without her, I saw him cry whenever I left the room, falling to his knees and grasping at his heart in such a way it made me choke with sorrow. The spark he had in his blue eyes when Mom was alive had left him, replaced by an agony that seemed to crawl and spark within him.

Dad became so incredibly thin and frail after he lost Mom. He'd eat only once a day, and it'd be a pathetically small meal. His head full of blonde hair began to thin as time passed. He'd come to celebrate Thanksgiving with us, always playing doting grandfather whenever Navi appeared… Otherwise that same pained, twisted look would wash across his face until he had to pretend again.

He was remarried to a woman he'd known for years, and for the first time since Mom died he became happy.

He put on weight… probably more than he needed. The pain in his eyes was still present, but it was overshadowed by the incredible new spark in his eyes. His hair filled back in and he became an energetic, funny man.

…Five years after this metamorphosis, he had a heart attack in the hallway and died as soon as he hit the ground. I was told there had been no pain when he passed, perhaps only a slight pressure on his chest.

In the end… I guess what I'm trying to say is this: 'cherish your parents while they are still in this world. You never know when they will leave you.'

And to those that already have lost their parents, remember this…

They may not be here right now, but their memory is always in your mind and heart. So long as they're there, then they cannot die.

…I love you Mom and Dad…

Thank you.

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**A/N:** Please review...

**_This story is dedicated to Marylyn S._**

**_Dear Grandma, you are missed..._**

**_I love you... always._**

**_Today was your birthday... And I'll still celebrate it._**

**_Thank you for watching over me._**


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